About Japanese Courses

Course Type

There are two types available: the 'Self-Study Course', where you can use interactive e-learning materials to learn by yourself, and the 'Tutor Support Course' that has the added support of a tutor to correct your assignments and provide live lessons.

Level of Japanese

Displayed using the 6 levels A1～C2 based on the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education (JFS).

Language of Explanation

E-learning materials and tutor commentaries are available in various languages.

At Minato, you can find friends to communicate with.

Make friends of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.

Minato has virtual communities where users from around the world can communicate with one another. Here, you can interact with friends of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.

Your common topic is Japan.

Feel free to join the community with a focus on Japan (Japanese manga, Japanese TV dramas, Japanese cooking, tourist spots in Japan, Japanese traditional culture, methods of studying Japanese, and so on). If you can't find a theme that you're interested in, you can make your own community.

Beginners are welcome, too.

Communicate with the Japanese that you know. It's okay to use your own language too, if you're just starting out. Reach out to people using hiragana or romaji. After that, try out a bit of Japanese that you've just learned. It's a great challenge.

JF has other environments for learning Japanese, too.

Through this site, the learner can engage with a wider range of Japan and the Japanese language by reading articles and watching videos centering on 12 topics of their interest as themes, such as Music, Sweets, Temples and Shrines, and others. You can personally experience understanding and using Japanese with an A1, A2 level of proficiency.

This is a site for learning Japanese and Japanese culture based on the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education official Japanese course book, Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture. There are three levels, Starer (A1) , Elementary 1 (A2) and Elementary 2 (A2) .

This site makes Japanese learning fun with anime and manga. You can learn variations of the Japanese language through characters and genres of anime and manga, as well as expressions you won't find in textbooks or dictionaries.

This is a free Japanese learning site where you can enjoy learning with Erin, a high school student who is studying in Japan. You can learn Japanese expressions from material such as TV drama-like skits and manga. You'll be able to do more in Japanese and learn the culture while you're at it.

This site has easy-to-follow explanations about websites and smartphone apps useful for learning Japanese. It supports all learners of Japanese around the world who use the Internet to learn and enjoy the language.

You can look up nursing or healthcare related vocabulary when you need them such as basic words when working in a medical or care facility, communicating with colleagues, or useful terms while living in Japan.

This is a list of Japanese learning apps developed and produced by the Japan Foundation. Even in environments where computers are inaccessible mobile devices can be used to be in touch with Japanese even for a short time, while on the go.

This is a list of Japanese courses by the Japan Foundation taught in locations overseas. Currently there are more than 20,000 people studying Japanese in over 30 locations. Hand-on cultural events are also held outside of the classroom to provide a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.

Minato, a place to learn and meet.

JF Japanese e-Learning Minato is a Japanese language learning platform provided by the Japan Foundation. Minato means "port". Here at Minato, a place to learn and meet other like-minded people, we invite you to expand your understanding and knowledge of Japan, Japanese people, and the Japanese language.

Take various online Japanese courses.

On Minato, you'll find all sorts of Japanese online courses. With Minato's online Japanese courses you can start learning Japanese wherever you are, whenever you want to. Have you given up on learning because you can't find a class nearby? Are you too busy to commute? Just want to try it out but are a bit nervous? Well this is the place for you. Choose the level, course type, study category, and language of explanation that suits you and you're set to go.

Interact with Japanese language learners all over the world.

On Minato, you can communicate with people all over the world who are studying Japanese, on various topics. You can make your own community or join a community that you might like. Find friends from around the world who share your interests.

So, start today.

If you want to know more about Japan, get really into Japanese language, brush up your Japanese, or make friends with people around the world who speak Japanese, then this platform is for you. Start by signing up today.